Spanish City Theatre
Watts Road,
Whitley Bay,
NE26 1BD
Watts Road,
Whitley Bay,
NE26 1BD
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Additional Info
Architects: Robert Burns Dick, James Cackett, Charles T. Marshall
Functions: Bingo Hall
Styles: Italian Renaissance
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Located facing the Promenade in the sea-side town of Whitley Bay, north of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Spanish City Theatre was part of a large amusement park & leisure complex, which consisted of a fairground with roller coaster and other rides, an indoor Pavilion, roof garden & tea room.
Opened on 7th May 1910, it was an early example of a concrete & steel structure, designed in an Italian Renaissance style by architects Robert Burns Dick, Charles T. Marshall & James Cackett. Seating in the theatre was provided for 1,400 in the stalls and 400 in the balcony. The coffered barrel shaped ceiling is divided into bays by arched beams.
In June 1910, one month after opening, a projection box was installed and silent films became part of the variety programme. Films continued to be screened during World War I, together with vaudeville acts.
The theatre was flat floored, and in 1920 became the Empress Ballroom, which continued until 1961. Since then it has been operated by the independent Carlton Bingo Club.
The Spanish City complex had become run down by the early-1990’s, and most of the buildings and attractions had closed. In 2011, the site was taken over by Tyneside District Council, and the architectural firm ADP Partnership are now working on renovations to the Pavilion building. Sadly the fairground and other buildings have been demolished, and a hotel and possibly a cinema will be built on the site of those. Completion for the renovations was set for 2014, but had stalled and were awaiting completion in 2025.
The dome on the Pavilion of Spanish City is designated a Grade II Listed building.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Two shots of the Spanish City Theatre / Carlton Bingo from 2009:–
PROSCENIUM
BARREL VAULTED CEILING AND BALCONY
Another much earlier shot of the proscenium arch (circa 1994)
EMPRESS STAGE
The leisure firm Stack submitted plans to redevelop the Grade II Listed former Carlton Bingo/Empress Ballroom and create a function room, wedding suite, cabaret and performance venue, late-night cocktail bar, restaurant, and roof terrace. Permission was granted in March 2021, but work was delayed by Covid and storm damage. Work did eventually start but has stopped while revised plans by Stack submitted in May 2023 are considered.
The original entrance to the venue was through the Dome building, and the base of the steps leading to the auditorium can still be seen. The entrance has been bricked up. Beneath the restored dome is an upmarket restaurant operated by a firm unconnected with Stack. They objected strongly to the internal link being restored, which meant a new two-story glass and steel foyer and entrance building being constructed to the rear of the auditorium. This has been partially completed, and new photographs are attached.
As of 7 August 2025, the is no evidence of any work on the building. However, in an interview with the Newcastle Chronicle on 7 July 2025, Stack has “reassured the public that it fully intends to get the former Empress Ballroom back up and running in the face of complicated planning conditions.”